The Utah State Aggies battle the Missouri Tigers in the first round of March Madness on Thursday, March 16.
It’s the No. 7 seed against the No. 10 seed in the South. Will Utah State shock everyone and pull the upset, or will the Tigers dominate them and move on? Can the Aggies find a way to slow Kobe Brown? It’s the SEC vs. Mountain West.
Utah State vs. Missouri Match Details
Fixture: Utah State Aggies @ Missouri Tigers
Date and Time: March 16, 2023, 1:40 p.m. EST
Location: Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California
Utah State vs. Missouri Betting Odds
| Team | Spread | O/U | ML |
| Utah State | -2 -110 | O155 -110 | -130 |
| Missouri | +2 -110 | U155 -110 | +110 |
Key Stats
Utah State is 26-8 on the year and is the No. 10 seed in the South. The Aggies are coming off a 57-62 loss to the San Diego State Aztecs in the Mountain West Tournament championship game. Guard Steven Ashworth leads the team with 16.3 points, 4.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game this year. The Aggies have five players that average double-digit points per game. As a team, they are averaging 78.6 points per game. Utah State is shooting 48.0% from the field and 39.3% from the three-point range. While their record is impressive, their schedule has been rather weak. They lost to San Diego State three times this year and now face a tough Missouri team.
Missouri is 24-9 on the year and is the No. 7 seed in the South region. The Tigers lost 72-61 in the SEC championship game to the Alabama Crimson Tide. Kobe Brown is the backbone of this team, averaging 15.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. His compadre D’Moi Hodge is averaging 14.8 points per game. The Tigers are averaging 79.5 points per game this year. They shoot 47.3% from the floor and 36.1% from behind the arc. This Missouri team is underrated, in my opinion. They have multiple wins over Tennessee and have beaten Kentucky, Illinois and Iowa State this year.
Game Prediction
This is a mismatch. Who has Utah State beaten this year that is worth mentioning? Missouri battled through a stacked SEC and survived. The Aggies will have issues guarding Kobe Brown, and this one is an easy pick for me. I got Missouri, without a doubt. Missouri is the better team, and I don’t care what the bookies say; this game is an easy money-maker to bet on. Come on, people, we are talking SEC vs. Mountain West here. Could Utah State beat Tennessee? I don’t think so. Missouri did it twice. Let’s go, Tigers.
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